Over the weekend, Brown Musical Forum staged a rendition of William Finn and James Lapine’s 1992 musical “Falsettos” in the Fishman Studio at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts. With witty comedy, unique melodies and a wildly impressive cast, the show left audience members both cackling and teary-eyed.
Upon opening the playbill, attendees may be initially skeptical of the two-and-a-half-hour performance that lies before them. But as the show’s small yet impressive cast took the stage, any remaining doubts about the night were immediately forgotten.
Following the shock of the opening number — “Four Jews in a Room Bitching” — the cast transitioned into “A Tight-Knit Family,” which set the scene for the dysfunctional family at the heart of the show. The song starts by introducing Avi Levin ’26 as Marvin, a Jewish man in 1979 New York City who has recently divorced his wife to be with a man — Whizzer, played by Evan Gray-Williams ’28.
The duration of the show slowly unravels this complex family dynamic, with Marvin lamenting “But I want a tight-knit family / I want a group that harmonizes / I want a wife and kid and friend / To pretend / Time will mend / Our pain.”
Later, Marvin’s son Jason, played by Georgia Gray ’29, energetically bursts into song with “My Father’s a Homo,” contributing to the show’s satirical shock value.
In “I’m Breaking Down,” Marvin’s ex-wife Trina, played by Aliza Sapiro Polishook ’29, tells her side of the story. “Great, men will be men / Let me turn on the gas,” she sings, “I caught them in the den with / Marvin grabbing Whizzer’s ass.”
While the show’s witty dialogue and endearing nature certainly set Brown Musical Forum up for success, the impressive caliber of its cast truly distinguished the production as one of the year’s best student performances. From the impeccable comedic timing of Dr. Mendel, played by Brodie Gross ’28, to the strong baritone belts from Levin, every cast member was individually impressive and as a result, their group numbers were all the more awe-inspiring.
In the second act, the show takes a more serious turn, with the family discovering that Whizzer has been diagnosed with AIDS. Dr. Charlotte, played by Karli Cottom ’27, explains the gravity of the epidemic with “Something Bad is Happening.” She tells her wife Cordelia, played by Kat Lopez ’27, about her confusion over the recent spike in deaths across the city.
As the show nears its end, the family hosts Jason’s Bar Mitzvah in Whizzer’s hospital room. But while Jason reads from the Torah, Whizzer begins coughing and is whisked off stage.
The show ends with a tacit understanding of Whizzer’s death, with the rest of the cast standing together at center stage, hugging and crying. Dr. Mendel delivers the concluding song — a reprise of the second act’s opening song, “Falsettoland” — singing, “Lovers come and lovers go / Lovers live and die fortissimo / This is where we take a stand / Welcome to falsettoland.”
After a standing ovation for the cast, audience members could be seen both laughing and crying as the lights slowly faded back in — a testament to the show’s power as well as the strength of its seven-person cast.
Ann Gray Golpira is a Section Editor covering Arts & Culture. She is from Norfolk, Virginia and plans on concentrating in both International and Public Affairs and Anthropology. Outside of The Herald, you can find her writing, recording and producing her original music.
